PCR has been championing women in the channel for years now, and every
year we’ve found that the act of highlighting issues that surround women in
the industry throws up a mixture of emotions and opinions.
While on the one hand we’re greeted with companies eager to talk about
how important diversity initiatives are to their business, on the other, we’re
still hearing from the odd person annoyed that we’re continuing to bang on
about it.
Having been away from PCR for a couple of years, when I returned in July, I
heard an organisation that had previous heavily criticised our celebrations of
women in the channel had now launched its own event doing the very thing
it had originally dubbed “sexist”.
After my initial surprise, I couldn’t help but feel somewhat victorious.
Despite the bashing they dished out at the time, they’ve now evolved to
understand why this is all so important.
And that’s what this issue is all about. It’s the evolution of the tech channel,
where people are paid and treated equally. PCR’s Women in Tech special is
not about man-hating, it’s about making the tech industry a more pleasant
place for everyone. It’s about ensuring the future of the channel is one full of
businesses growing and technology advancing because more young women
see a bright future for themselves if they take up a career in it.
Within this issue you’ll find some fascinating insights from women in the
channel across our opinion pages (p10-13), various profiles (Retail p23, In
My Team p33 and Life in the Channel p42), and our big feature on supporting
women in the industry (p24).
As well as this, we’ve rounded up a list of talented women who have had a
great year in the industry (p16). This list features female channel stars that
you, our readers, have put forward for the hard work they do and the impact
they have made on you. So, thank you to everyone involved for helping us to
shine a light on as many amazing women as we could.

“This issue is
about the
evolution of the
channel and
making the tech
industry a more
pleasant place for
everyone”

Laura Barnes, Editor

laura.barnes@futurenet.com

THE TEAM

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November 2018 | 3

26/10/2018 16:35

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As more retailers consider banning serial product returners, some
experts are warning that it could end up doing more harm than good.
Laura Barnes looks at what other solutions are available…

D

espite its somewhat lax returns policy, back in
May, retail giant Amazon made a bold move
against “serial returners”. Those customers
that had a habit of regularly returning goods
found themselves banned from the website.
According to WSJ, accounts are being closed for
activities that include “requesting too many refunds” or
“sending back the wrong items or violating other rules”.

6

|

November 2018

Skip ahead to October, and a new report from retail
ERP platform Brightpearl revealed that 45% of retailers
are planning to follow in Amazon’s footsteps and ban
shoppers who deliberately and regularly buy multiple
items with the intent to return some of them.
With over one-third of UK retailers saying that
they’ve seen an uplift in serial returners over the last 12
months, many are feeling the strain. A quarter of

www.pcr-online.biz

Retail Analysis

nder

taking to combat serial returners – and how consumers are
reacting to them.
The worst offenders are shoppers aged 18-34, where over
a third of respondents confessed to having intentionally
bought more items than they intended to keep. However
the research shows that most shoppers are broadly in
favour of bans for serial returners, with 56% agreeing it’s a
fair policy.
However, there are clear differences in attitudes
depending on age groups, with 18-24s much more likely to
be unconvinced. Overall, just 7% of respondents disagreed
about banning serial returners, whilst one in ten said they
would never shop with an online retailer who imposed bans
for returning too many items.
Brightpearl outlines that part of the ongoing problem of
serial returning lies in the fact that many retailers do not
currently have the right technologies in place to identify
repeat offenders, with 59% of respondents saying that they
cannot identify – or do not know whether they can identify
– who their serial returning customers are.
“In today’s consumer-led retail environment, intentional
returning could spell disaster for retail business owners if

they do not have visibility over regularly returning
customers. Without this, retailers will struggle with the
definition and consistent application of their returns
strategies – and could face a resulting backlash from
shoppers,” says Derek O’Carroll, CEO of Brightpearl.

retailers told Brightpearl that introducing lifetime bans for
problem shoppers is “a necessary move to protect their slim
margins”. In addition, one-third of UK retailers would
impose bans to save time and administration resources –
showing that chronic returns deliver many knock-on costs.
Of the brands Brightpearl spoke with, a whopping 67% of
consumer electronics firms plan to implement similar
measures to Amazon.
Returns cost approximately £60 billion in the UK yearly,
according to KPMG, £20 billion of which is generated by
items bought over the internet. In association with Onepoll,
Brightpearl surveyed 4,000 online shoppers and 200 retail
decision makers to examine the measures that retailers are

www.pcr-online.biz www.pcr-online.biz

OVERSTOCKED
While returns are clearly causing a headache for retailers,
the solution may not lay within the banning of shoppers,
but rather how returned stock could be utilised to regain
some of that lost money, while still keeping consumers
coming back for more.
Returns and overstock specialists B-Stock believes that
retailers should “get ahead of the returns game”, especially
in time for Christmas.
EMEA director Ben Whitaker says that European
ecommerce platforms can expect to see a whopping 25-40%
returns rate. Looking at the video games industry as one
example, a total of 23.7 million physical video games were
sold in the UK during 2017, according to GfK, meaning the
potential for recouping that return rate remains high, points
out Whitaker.

November 2018 | 7

Retail Analysis
“As returns increase, so too does the industry’s need to
launched two new products to help
adapt, protect itself and strategise to overcome this
retailers enhance and improve their
challenge,” says Whitaker. “Margin compression at the
online customer experience, while
front end of retail and ecommerce also means fighting for
also going a step further in terms of
a finite number of customers and both platforms seeking
the automatisation and accuracy of
other ways to innovate. Returns could well be the answer
their product catalogues.
to that gap.”
‘Imaginize’ uses the latest in-house
With more than 20% of consumer electronics purchases
image recognition technology to
returned on a regular basis, Whitaker says retailers must
identify and recognise products using
look at this “sooner, rather than later”.
both their colour and their form. This
“What is key to remember here is the fact that the
allows items to then be automatically
lifespan of some of these products are short initially, but
classified and tagged, saving retailers time
there is added value in the reselling market.
and effort while improving accuracy and
“Video games such as the FIFA series as well as potential
findability (the metrics used to recognise how
game of the year titles such as the recently-released PS4
easily and quickly customers are able to find what
exclusive Spiderman game generate high pricing both inthey’re looking for).
store and online, but also offer excellent rates of return to
The product has been developed to meet the
sell on,” he explains. “Popular titles can remain high-value
growing needs of, and demands facing, the online retail
in used condition for many years after.”
industry. “It’s based on years of experience working with
But it isn’t just video games that have this kind of
retailers analysing and understanding how users interact
potential, B-Stock suggests that the associated technology
with catalogues, how they look for different types of
also offers lucrative reselling opportunities, with
clothing and the queries they use to define and label
accessories such as earbuds, cases
products,” says
and batteries boasting some of the
EmpathyBroker.
highest return rates and therefore
In addition to this, the new
making up a large percentage of
‘EmpathyContext’ product
products in the overstock and
provides retailers with “greater
liquidated market.
personalisation through
“Retailers need to know that
understanding a user’s context
trade buyers who purchase this
and intent” in a bid to provide
kind of stock want large quantities
them with query results that
of inventory sorted by condition.
align to their individual needs.
That means that even if returns
The technology analyses
aren’t in the most perfect
information gathered from
Angel Maldonado, EmpathyBroker
condition, there is still a vast
each consented query, click
number of buyers out there who
and purchase, which is then
demand this kind of product,” says Whitaker.
collected, processed and transformed into insightful
“We see this kind of demand even more when it
consumer behaviour data. The company says these insights
comes to mobile phones, the iPhone X, despite being
generate highly relevant, unique and contextualised results
released almost a year ago, is still reaching more than
while also creating dynamic and intuitive digital
60% of its value in resales. That kind of value simply
experiences.
cannot be ignored.”
“We’re continually looking to innovate and support
our retail customers and Imaginize and EmpathyContext
SMARTER SHOPPING
have been developed to do just that by improving
If retailers are going to go down the route of keeping (or
efficiency and accuracy while enhancing the customer
even relaxing) their returns policy in a bid to make
experience to make it an exciting, fruitful and joyful one,”
themselves look more inviting to shoppers put off by the
concludes Maldonado.
threat of bans, another area that may help to make the
While Amazon is usually seen as the leader of the pack
whole process not only smoother but more economically
when it comes to online shopping, there are very few other
efficient is how they display products.
retailers that have the kind of household name – or sheer
“At a time when consumers are increasingly looking to
volume of customers, for that matter – to be able to
purchase online, retailers and brands need to ensure their
confidently apply such a ban without the fear that they will
customers can not only find the products they’re looking
do more harm than good.
for from a list of thousands but also ensure they have an
Those that do want to drive ahead with clearing out the
enjoyable experience in the process,” says Angel
serial returners from their business need to make sure they
Maldonado, founder of EmpathyBroker.
implement the correct software to ensure they are heading
The ecommerce search and discovery company recently
down the right path.

“Retailers must ensure their
customers can not only find
the products they’re looking for,
but have an enjoyable
experience in the process”

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industryopinion

Equality is essential
for women in tech
to thrive
Sarah Lewis, Women in Tech Ambassador and Director of Field Marketing at Ivanti, looks
at the challenges facing women currently working in the industry and how we will all benefit
from diversity improvements...

W

However, the greatest challenge identified by respondents was
ith a workforce made up of only 17% women
not to do with a lack of women in the industry, but in the way they
according to the Chartered Institute for IT’s 2017
are treated; namely being taken seriously in the workplace.
Diversity Report, the IT industry evidently needs to
The feeling of disrespect that women feel can start from the very
be doing a lot more to balance the gender divide. It
moment that they decide to apply for a job working in the IT
is promising, however, that we are seeing some movement across
industry, with recruitment drives often being more strongly
the industry with many programmes being set up to get more
targeted at men than women.
women of all ages excited by technology and IT.
This can come down to the use of language, overall processes,
A good example of this is companies sending female
and even recruitment posts on social media. Our study also
representatives to schools to engage with children and
found that women already working in the technology
teach them programming. Volunteer-led
workplace often feel disrespected. In fact, 63 per cent of
organisations like Code Club run after school
respondents believe that gender perceptions stop them
sessions, which further excites them. Initiatives
from being taken seriously.
like these, which are driven by volunteers,
“It would seem that
Between that and anecdotal examples we hear
and campaigns from businesses and the
things are on the right
about at networking events, it is clear that a lack
public sector, are slowly helping to improve
of respect because of gender is a big barrier for
the numbers.
track, however there is
some women.
It would seem that things are on the right
still a lot more to do”
Lack of equality can also hold women back in
track and that it should only be a matter of
terms of progression in the industry, with a maletime before we as an industry start to benefit
dominated culture often providing more opportunities
from the fruits of our collective labour, however
for men.
there is still a lot more to do.
One such example that garnered a significant amount of
We are often quick to bemoan the lack of women
media attention is of former Reddit CEO Ellen Pao who, while
working in the industry, but at the same time conditions are
working with Silicon Valley venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins,
not always ideal for those already working in tech. Findings from
was reported to have said that she saw female junior partners
our recent Ivanti Women in Tech report identified several key
getting passed over for promotions in favour of their lesschallenges and difficulties facing women in the industry.
experienced male counterparts.
A few of the problems identified are inherent due to the
Because of this culture, along with experiences of harassment
dearth of women in technology – a lack of female role models
from a co-worker, Pao filed a $16 million lawsuit against the
and diversity within a company are identified by 43% and 32%
company. During the trial, Pao was accused of both being ‘too
of respondents respectively – and one would imagine that as
quiet’ and ‘too aggressive’, not being a ‘team player’ and having
more women are integrated into the industry those figures
‘sharp elbows’.
should improve.

10 | November 2018

PCR182.opinion1.indd 1

www.pcr-onine.biz

26/10/2018 17:00

The manner in which Pao was presented is a textbook example of
many of the kinds of gender perceptions that result in women
feeling disrespected.
In workplace situations where women are faced with these
challenges, there exists something of a dilemma. The first option is
to stay in your current workplace, stay true to yourself, call out the
people who aren’t taking you seriously and encourage decision
makers to take a stronger stance on the treatment of women in the
workplace. This can be difficult for a variety of reasons, especially if
this kind of behaviour has been cultivated over several years, and
anybody who tries to change things could be wrongly seen as
something of a bad apple if they are challenging the status quo of a
‘boys’ club’ office environment.
Alternatively, the other option is to find a new role at a different
organisation that has a more positive attitude towards female
empowerment and does more to discourage any negative
perceptions of women who might have to work differently, for

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PCR182.opinion1.indd 2

example if they require flexible working so that they can balance
their career and a family. That can be equally as challenging as
fighting the status quo because finding a new job can be tough and
it can be difficult to find a forward-thinking organisation that
supports diversity simply by reading a job description.
For those seeking to do the latter, attending female-focused
professional networking events, along with utilising websites like
Glassdoor, are both great ways of finding companies in IT that work
in a positive way for women by taking advantage of word-of-mouth.
Regardless of your role, industry and gender, you will want to feel
respected and valued in your professional environment. Based on
the findings of our Ivanti Women in Tech report, unfortunately, this
is not the case for a large number of women working in IT.
While getting more women into the industry is an understandable
focus of many Women in Tech initiatives, the entire industry will
benefit by also paying greater attention to those who are already
working within it.

November 2018 | 11

26/10/2018 17:00

industryopinion

We should
actively
encourage older
women to join
the IT industry
Inspiring the next generation is clearly important, but
Softwire CEO Zoe Cunningham believes the skills
gap and gender imbalance needs to be addressed
sooner rather than later...

T

It is this tenacity, combined with an ability to apply knowledge,
here are two recurrent themes that dominate tech industry
interact well with clients and colleagues, and have good project
recruitment – the skills shortage and lack of gender
management that is required. Then the specifics of software
diversity. It is over fifty years since the inspirational Dame
development can be quickly layered over the top. And that is
Steve Shirley founded the company that became the FI
where the new Apprenticeship Scheme offers a chance to plug the
Group, yet young women are still self-selecting out of the IT
skills gap.
business. To be fair, many young men are doing the same – a fact
Not only is Software Engineer one of the agreed apprenticeship
that is very significant in the escalating skills shortage.
roles, but the scheme can be used to train individuals of any age, not
In a society where teenagers know they face over fifty years in the
just 16-19s.
workforce and are, therefore, encouraged to ‘follow their
This opens the door for companies to actively look to
passion’, IT rarely figures. IT is still not a dream career
encourage older women into the industry – and provides
despite the great work of companies such as
“Many older
these women with a chance to retrain whilst still working
TeenTech, which are dedicated to showing how
technology can be used in business, from Formula
women have the and earning, a key consideration for anyone looking for a
career change. And the IT industry has an advantage over
1 to film-making, in a bid to inspire new recruits.
attributes to
others when encouraging women – flexible, mobile and
Furthermore, while inspiring the next generation
make great
collaborative working is already embedded in the culture.
is essential, companies need skills today, not just in
developers”
There was a golden era when women in IT believed true
seven or ten years’ time. So, where is that talent
change was on its way, but it never quite happened. Despite
going to come from? There is, in fact, a huge pool of
huge efforts the gender imbalance within the IT industry
untapped expertise that, while not armed with the
continues. Unless companies actively begin to recruit older women
specific technical skills required to hit the ground running, have a
into the business in numbers, women who can create a strong
wealth of soft skills – from communication to emotional intelligence
foundation of role models as well as subtly shift the perception away
– that are essential to software development: older women.
from a male dominated environment, bright young girls are going to
Whether looking to return to work after a career break or wanting
continue to pursue other areas.
to move away from their first career, there are many older women –
This is a great industry to work in for both genders but relying on
and men – who have the attributes and transferable skills required to
enticing the young into the industry has not worked.
make a great software developer. And, critically, while it does not
The new Apprenticeship Scheme provides a great opportunity to
necessarily require a maths background, it does require the right
attract an older generation of women – enabling the industry to
attitude: the ability to look at a problem and be willing and able to
begin to address both the skills shortage and the gender balance.
take the time to work towards a resolution.

12 | November 2018

PCR182.opinion3.indd 1

www.pcr-onine.biz

26/10/2018 17:02

industryopinion

The importance of
empowering families to
decide what's best for them
CEO of intY Craig Joseph outlines why it’s imperative that tech companies understand that
employees have a life outside of work and why equal pay is so important...

I

read a shocking statistic the
other day – only 17% of
employees in the UK
technology sector are women. I
realise that the technology industry
is renowned for being dominated by
men, but I didn’t think that the
percentage was so high.
I’m the CEO at intY, the world’s
leading cloud services distributor,
and after reading this statistic, I
decided to analyse our staff.
Out of intY’s 59 staff members,
a third are women, 25% of board
members are women, 50% of
the management team are
female and 31% of women hold
senior positions.
Five of our female staff have also
been shortlisted for awards to
celebrate their hard work.
Furthermore, earlier this year, we
publicly revealed the gender pay gap
families to decide what works best for them without
at intY, showing that female staff are paid 3% more than
relying on a stereotypical breadwinner or primary
male staff. This is based on the median measure,
“I believe that
caregiver role.
which is the level of pay that separates the top half
pay for like-forEvery industry needs to understand that
of earners from the bottom half. When comparing
employees
have a life outside of work, and
like-for-like jobs, women and men at intY are
like roles should
if an employee or their partner is pregnant,
paid exactly the same because I believe that pay
be equal,
a company needs to do everything it can
for like-for-like roles should be equal, regardless
regardless of
to assist.
of gender.
The technology industry also needs to ensure
At intY, we remunerate people for the skills,
gender”
that they are taking more steps to encourage
knowledge and experience required for the role and
women into a career in the sector. Companies can do
gender bears no relevance. We also provide a very
this themselves by holding specific open days for women, or
generous package including enhanced maternity, paternity and
by discussing as an industry how to include more women in
shared parental leave.
tech – anything that can be done that means we aren’t
We do this because we understand and believe that equal
discouraging anyone from a job in technology.
pay and flexibility with childcare is important, empowering

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PCR182.opinion4.indd 1

November 2018 | 13

26/10/2018 17:04

Stats

Number

Here are some of the most
interesting stats and facts
from the tech channel…

According to a
recent report
from Ivanti,
63% of women
working in
technology feel
that they aren’t
taken seriously
in the workplace.

In Q2 2018,
cryptomining
malware grew by
86% with more
than 2.5 million
new samples,
according
to McAfee.

£60 billion
Flurry Analytics has estimated that Apple’s new
iPhone XS generated 7% more revenue in its
first week of sales compared to the combined
sales of the iPhone X and iPhone 8/Plus in the
equivalent periods last year.
14

|

November 2018

PCR182.numbers.indd
1
www.pcr-online.biz

££ £

Product returns cost UK retailers
around £60 billion a year and can
account for up to 10% of their
business, according to Yocuda.
www.pcr-online.biz

A great year for
women in tech
Whether it’s at the CEO or
exec level, women in the tech
channel may be outnumbered but
they are certainly not out-gunned.
PCR asked readers to put
forward the most inspirational,
impactful and influential women
in the channel, and you
answered…

A

t the centre of PCR’s Women in Tech special
issue, this feature is designed to shine the
spotlight on some of the most inspirational,
influential and impactful female execs
working in the tech industry.
A key part of the thinking behind putting this together
was a desire to highlight achievements of the past year
from women on all rungs of the corporate ladder.
We wanted to highlight not only managing directors
and CEOs, but also people making waves at the exec level
who are relatively new to management roles, or even new
to the channel.
In order to formulate the list, we thought the fairest
and most ‘real’ way of approaching this would be to ask
our readers to put forward suggestions of women that
have, in whatever capacity, done something great this
year. We asked for stories of success, and you answered.

16 | November 2018

PCR182.topwomen.indd 1

After an avalanche of emails, we’ve been through the
information and whittled it down to these 25 women who
have made an impact in the UK channel over the past
year, as well as over their careers.
Of course, we know this is not a scientific method,
but the main spirit of the piece is to highlight the good
work being done by women in an industry in which
they find themselves a little outnumbered gender-wise,
shall we say.
The list features founders, CEOs, heads of departments
and managers, all of which have done something
awesome in last 12 months, whether that’s delivering
growth for a business unit or company, a creative
achievement, participation in a wider tech initiative or
community project, or mentoring younger colleagues.
In alphabetical order by company name, here are
your Top 25 Women in Tech:

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26/10/2018 19:57

TOP

25

Women in

TECH

CHARLOTTE LAMMIN

B2B Marcom – BenQ
Charlotte launched Google Jamboard into the UK market with a number of successful events, including
Google Cloud Next 2018. Interacting with both end-users, resellers and distribution she ensures BenQ’s
message is consistent and aligned while working closely with Google. As the only marcom person in the UK,
she managed the launch as well as supporting the firm’s resellers and distributors for content, communications
and events. In the past year Charlotte has also worked extensively on marketing BenQ’s corporate range of
interactive flat panels to enterprises across the UK.

LUCY LINCOLN

Senior Channel Marketing Manager – BullGuard
Lucy was brought into her current role to deliver a global channel marketing strategy for BullGuard’s AV
business. She built the channel marketing strategy from the ground up since the position’s inception, put in
place a solid tiered partner program, and actively sought and recruited new partners. Additionally, she has
worked on a raft of enablement tools and sales incentives to deliver partner growth and implemented a brandnew communications platform for the firm’s channel partners. As a result of the combined efforts of channel
marketing and sales, the business has witnessed double digit growth year-on-year.

MEGHANN HOWE

Product Marketing Executive – Buy It Direct
Meghann started at Buy It Direct as an apprentice in June 2015. After learning the ropes with basic
administration, she soon moved on to looking after some of the firm’s smaller categories, and recently was
promoted into her current role. She now looks at the customer journey for the monitor category throughout
the business, oversees the marketing strategy on the range and owns the full P and L. Her work on the website
has resulted in ‘huge improvements in SEO and over double the amount of traffic in a short space of time’,
while revenue for her category has over doubled in the last six months.

LAURA-JANE FRANKLIN

Business Development Director – Centerprise International
Laura-Jane (known as LJ) has had a rapid rise to director of Business Development, and is seen as a driving
force and true ambassador of women in tech within Centerprise International. After a BSc (Hons) at Brunel
University, she’s had a career driving sales and ‘inspiring those around her and being a passionate advocate for
those with a quiet voice’. This year LJ has positioned Centerprise within every Lot across two strategic
Government Framework Agreements – the only company to achieve this, become a Finalist in the Women in
Business Awards, led multiple STEM initiatives on Ci’s behalf, and much more.

MEGAN WARREN

Marketing Executive – ComputerWorld Systems
Megan joined ComputerWorld three years ago after leaving university. Over the last 12 months, she has taken
responsibility for the firm’s marketing strategy. Working with her sales counterparts to deliver campaigns, she
has planned two large scale events and delivered presentations covering Microsoft Teams functionality. Megan
personally manages the firm’s corporate website, it’s Office 365 site, knowledge sharing blog ‘Define
Tomorrow’, pay per click campaigns, event planning, logistics and marketing, vendor engagement as well as
call scripts and sales enablement tools. She also volunteers as a VMware User Group leader.

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November 2018 | 17

26/10/2018 19:57

TOP

25

Women in

TECH

SARAH SHIELDS

VP of enterprise channel, Europe – Dell
It’s been a big year for Dell’s UK/I channel business. According to IDC, the first half of 2018 delivered 64%
year-on-year growth. With Sarah at the helm of the European enterprise channel, Dell has added more
partners to its program and its partner Net Promoter’s score increased by 28 points, which it claims is an
industry high. As well as this, the team she leads has raised over £700k for charity. “It’s been an incredible year
for me this year and for the amazing team of people that I work with here at Dell EMC,” says Sarah. “Together,
we have made a difference for our customers, our partners, our community and also our business.”

DHARA KOTHARI

Commercial Marketing Manager – D-Link UK
Dhara has pioneered a series of radio and press campaigns to launch new D-Link products this year, reaching
nearly 4.5million national and regional listeners across the UK and featuring in over 20 publications. At the
beginning of 2018, she was set the task of increasing B2B sales revenue by 15%. Proposing a strategic initiative
which was a synergy of sales and marketing campaigns focused around increasing current revenue and on
boarding new partnerships. Leading a team of six in the project, an increase of 8.5% YoY was achieved in the
first six months. Dhara is also a keen fundraiser and organises company-wide initiatives.

FIONA GRAHAM

Group Marketing Director – Exertis Group
With 47 people in her department, Fiona is responsible for the marketing of a £3bn company that has over 350
brands in its portfolio, tasked with building a strong brand presence for the company and also for emerging
brands in the consumer space. She has ensured that marketing has an influential presence in the boardroom in
terms of company strategy. She recently led the team in running the Plug In To Exertis event, which had 106
vendors and over a 1,000 visitors attending. Respected by her peers, vendors and suppliers for her expertise
and knowledge of the channel, Fiona is a strong advocate of diversity.

SHAMIRA SANGHRAJKA

Manager, Innovation – EY
Shamira is part of a team that leads the development and integration of AI backed natural language
technology within EY. For the last year she has delivered the first rollout of natural language in EY’s practice
globally. Recently, her team’s work was recognised by way of winning EY UK’s ‘Pursuing Innovation’ award in
a global internal competition. She is a regular panel speaker and founder of the ‘1 million women in STEM’
campaign. “In six months, I have, alongside the team, worked to embed it nationally, train 250+ people and
are nearing efficiency savings of millions. Most importantly, I have helped empower people through tech.”

RACHEL CARTWRIGHT

Retail Sales Manager – Intel
Rachel works closely with Intel’s key retailers and partners in the UK, and has a pivotal role in developing sales
and marketing strategies to grow the firm’s PC business, collaborating with multiple stakeholders in order to
ensure that the team around her is also a success. In the past year she created marketing collateral to support
Optane product launches, executed a series of customer roadshows (which were ranked 4.9/5 by RSP’s and
exceptional feedback from Customer Training Management), and handled deployment of Cloud Connected
IPOS (Intel Point of Sales) in the UK market. Rachel is praised for her passion and can-do attitude.

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TECH

SARAH LEWIS

Director, Field Marketing and Women in Tech Ambassador – Ivanti
In her role as the director of Field Marketing, Sarah manages Ivanti’s marketing and SDR teams for UK,
Ireland, Middle East, Africa and Eastern Europe, and also oversees Australia and New Zealand’s marketing
and SDR operations. Sarah masterminded Ivanti’s ‘Women in Tech’ initiative that launched in September
2017 with the @TheTechieGirls Twitter platform, to promote diversity in the industry and within the
organisation. The platform organically grew to over 700 followers in less than a year, and following that, Sarah
went on to establish Ivanti’s Women in Tech blog, and has recently written Ivanti’s Women In Tech Report.

ANN KEEFE

UK and I regional director – Kingston Technology
Kingston Technology prides itself on diversity – the gender ratio for its EMEA HQ based in the UK is 47%
female and 53% male, and the UK team has 70%/30% ratio of women/men. “I am proud to lead a team where
there is no perception of boundaries or a glass ceiling for either gender,” says Ann. “I believe that this is one of
the reasons that we thrive as a team and we can focus on delivering the channel programmes and services to
our partners to help them to grow. This has resulted in both revenue and units growth for Kingston and our
partners year-on-year despite some challenging market conditions.”

ANJANA SRINIVASAN

Executive Director - Marketing, Smart Devices & Global Media – Lenovo
Anjana has spent over 15 years in strategy, marketing, sales and operational roles, the last ten years of which
have been at Lenovo. She is responsible for marketing across several countries, leading the development and
growth of Lenovo’s consumer tech, including smartphones, laptops and AR. Recently she is credited with
driving the global launch of the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga, devising successful joint marketing programs with
global alliance partners to position Lenovo products and boost sales, pioneering strong working practices with
China Product Development teams, and implementing Lenovo’s Top Customer Loyalty Program.

TIRENE DOEPEL

Head of Marketing – Network Group
Tirene describes her role as one of the most diverse, interesting and professionally challenging marketing roles
in the channel. Her responsibilities involve overall group strategy, creating discrete marketing programmes for
partners, and delivering marketing support and services to group members. This year, her team embedded
Terra Computer as a Preferred Partner within the Group. “Through our campaigns this year, Terra have
become Continuum’s Server Partner with access to a vast network of MSP’s beyond the Group, and have
grown their business within the Group by 300%,” says Tirene.

SOPHIE PHILLIPS

Product Marketing Manager – Ortial Technologies
Sophie heads up the division of Ortial that won the 2018 Storage Awards Marketing Team of the Year. Her
brand-building strategy for the memory, data storage and networking component product ranges saw a 70%
growth for the company in the year since she joined. She did this via a combination of social media marketing,
email campaigns and traditional strategies such as event attendance, third party advertising and case studies.
“You have to be a bit of a Jacqueline of all trades when you are dealing with a relatively new brand,” says
Sophie, “But I am really proud of how we have built a strong profile in a relatively short space of time.”

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Women in

TECH

SARAH YULE
Director of Sales – ROLI

Sarah describes the last year as one of many challenges and many triumphs. She aided the drive to supply new
music creation products to tech channels and partners across EMEA. While recruiting and growing her EMEA
team, she has personally driven a plan and pitch to secure ROLI into retailers such as John Lewis in the UK,
Apple stores across EMEA, top 5 FNAC stores in France, APR’s across Europe, and Virgin megastore in UAE.
“We have created a great bond in the team.” Says Sarah. “I want to be the best mentor and manager that I can. I
aim to drive my team powerfully, enabling them to act autonomously, supporting them when they need it.”

LIZA DEMPSEY-VICENT

Senior Marketing Specialist, UK&I Marketing – Symantec
Achieving global recognition within her organisation, Liza was awarded the Consumer Business Unit’s ‘Eagle’
award (for the team mate that ’kills it whilst flying under the radar’) for her strong commitment and teamwork
ethic. This year she has implemented a successful digital marketing strategy that helped increase Norton’s
online market share, rolled out a brand new retail/POS activation with a key partner across 50 of their UK
stores, launched new digital media and PPC campaigns, and audited and overhauled richer content across
multiple retail platforms. She has received seven other EMEA awards, including ‘most valued player’.

CELINE NAUDE

Head of Marketing Services – Tech Data
Celine leads Tech Data’s Marketing Services team. Her department serves campaigns for over 6,500 resellers,
200+ vendors and the internal Tech Data business. She is praised for having stabilised her team and improved
team morale within 12 months. Specifically, she reduced staff turnover through the creation of opportunities
for further career development whilst supporting four members of the team into developing into more senior
positions. She also increased ROI between Jan 2017 and Jan 2018 – her team delivered 959 campaigns which
yielded an ‘estimated return of 15:1 ROI and contributed to almost £180m of revenue returned’.

MARIE CLUTTERBUCK

Chief Marketing Officer – Tectrade
With over 20 years experience in IT marketing working for companies such as Siemens and BAE Systems,
Marie joined data protection and recovery specialist Tectrade in February 2018. In six months, she has
repositioned the organisation with a new proposition development, content generation and campaigns that
have yielded great sales results for the firm. She has also overseen the launch of a new Tectrade website and has
worked with the UK’s trade IT and channel media to hugely raise the company’s profile. She is the brains
behind the company’s ‘Zero Day Recovery’ branding for its fast data recovery solution.

BRIDGET KENYON

Global CISO – Thales eSecurity
Passionate about data security, Bridget was the previous head of information security at University College
London and a security researcher at government DEFRA. Prior to this, Bridget gained a masters degree in
physics and astrophysics from the University of Birmingham. Today, Bridget is the Global CISO at Thales
eSecurity, which provides data security solutions and services. Bridget feels promoting the growing need for the
UK cyber security sector to bridge the current skills gap could drive uptake of women in the IT security
profession.

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EMMA LATTIMER
Marketing Manager – TP-Link

A seasoned marcomms manager, Emma has been focusing on ways to leverage the TP-Link social media
platforms to grow the digital footprint to increase brand awareness and generate demand for B2B and SOHO
products. She has been instrumental in finding new and innovative ways of launching new products, such as
the Archer C5400X – TP-Link’s first router developed specifically for the gaming market. To complement the
traditional press and blogger outreach, Emma worked with an esports professional to live stream a Q&A on
Twitch that focused on the importance of a solid network to the overall gaming experience.

GAIL JONES

Managing Director – UKFast
Gail Jones, co-founder and managing director of Manchester-based technology brand UKFast, has driven the
firm to the £47 million turnover business it is today. Focused on innovation and efficiency, she works closely
with the research and development team and spearheads the operations side of the business. Gail also leads the
way in UKFast’s diversity and community projects which, in the past year, saw the firm pledge 5,000
volunteering hours, launch the Community and Education Awards and open six Raspberry Pi cafes to help
improve digital skills in schools. Gail has strived to create an inherently inclusive environment for UKFast.

SONIA URDIALES

UK Territory Manager – Wasp Barcode Technologies
In the last 18 months Wasp has been in a period of corporate transition, and as part of changes made Sonia
was promoted to manage the team at Wasp UK. Under her stewardship in the last year, the division has
handled new product launches into the channel and to direct customers, and is prepping its cloud software
launches for Q4. “We had fantastic record-breaking sales in 2017 and 2018 is proving to be equally
outstanding due to new product launches and a dramatic marketing approach to both the channel and direct
business of the company,” says Sonia.

HAYLEY SUDBURY

Founder and CEO – WERKIN
WERKIN is an ‘LGBT+ female-founded tech company dedicated to helping companies manage, measure and
scale diversity and inclusion programmes’. As well as being founder and CEO of the firm, Hayley is an
Ambassador for LBWomen, and Sponsor of the inaugural Global Mentoring programme. In 2018 she was
named We Are Tech Women’s Tech 50 Awards Champion, Silicon Republic Women Invent Top 100,
Brummell Magazine’s Inspirational Women, a leading Queer Scientist and nominated as Inspirational Role
Model at the DIVA Awards. Hayley is also a longtime mentor.

MAGGIE ZABOURA

Founder and MD – Zaboura
Maggie is founder and MD of Zaboura, a boutique communications agency representing big brands such as
Kingston. This year the firm has snapped up Netgear as a client. Maggie says: “We are proud to say that we are
delivering campaigns that are being implemented through every customer touchpoint from social, to creative,
to influencer marketing. We won new clients like Netgear and others from the clutches of ‘Goliath’ agencies
because of our 360 campaign approach, which are now being deployed and adopted globally because we focus
on KPIs and delivering value. In times of budget cuts and austerity, brands are choosing the ‘Davids’ to deliver.

Our promise to you.
VIP will always deal with you professionally and courteously | VIP will never leave you with a problem of our own making
VIP will always be informative in our communications | VIP will look to support you and grow your business
VIP will help educate you about our channel | VIP will always be fair to you & competitive on price
Not kept our promise? Please tell us because your feedback will help us to deliver a better service.
You can speak directly to our Managing Director, Rich Marsden on 07554 455 439 or rich.marsden@vip-computers.co.uk

RETAILER SPOTLIGHT

Chips Computers
Jennifer Griffiths, Co-Owner and Head Technician of Chips Computers, reveals how the PC repair
store’s services have changed over the years, and what it’s like working in a male-dominated industry...
Can you give us a brief history of Chips
Computers?
Chips Computers started as a PC repair call-out
service in 2005. In 2013, [co-owner and husband]
Phil and I decided we wanted a shop. Computer
Fairs were dying a death and it was costing as
much to have a stand every Saturday and Sunday
with limited space as it would be for a store’s rent
where you could have room for retail, repair and
building. To me it just made sense to have a store
and leave the Computer Fairs but keep the callout side of things. Since then we have collected
numerous awards for what we do.
How have your service offerings evolved over
the years?
In days gone by, we used to have a lot of repairs
due to viruses. We are seeing less of the traditional
viruses (trojan) and more of ransomware and
scams. In addition to this we see a lot more issues
after Windows updates with Windows 10 than
with previous OS updates. Unlike other stores, we
specialise in Windows-based computers and
recommend local stores for anything Apple or

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PCR182.spotlight.indd 1

Android related. Reason being, we believe in
working together and keeping trade local.
What are your top selling products?
Our top selling products are custom PCs, followed
by branded laptops. This is followed by Bullguard
Internet Security and compatible inks. We have
also had an increase of people purchasing and
having us fit SSDs. On the peripherals side of
things, I have seen an increase in gaming
keyboards and mice since we started offering our
Cooler Master line.
Do you think there’s more support for women
in the industry than when you first started out?
Women are a minority for the most part in our
field. Many people (mostly older men) think I am
the receptionist and ask for my husband still.
When I tell them I am qualified, they may or may
not talk to me. Also, with representatives from
manufactures, sometimes they look to the men
and overlook women in the industry. Maybe more
women would get into the computer industry if
they were treated with more respect.

As it is now, if you are not a gamer or one of the
guys, so to speak, you don’t get very much respect.
If I was to employ someone though, I would do it
on merit and not sex, religion or politics.
What’s in the pipeline for Chips Computers?
In January of this year, we launched Tech For
Techs. This is basically a review/business advice
website with a social aspect. We have done this to
help people in our industry get the right advice
and products for their needs. In the future we
hope to get a larger store for Chips Computers as
well as having a dedicated studio for reviews and a
function room for events.

s you will have no doubt figured out at this
point in the magazine, this month we’ve
dedicated the pages of PCR to women working
in the tech channel.
Along with highlighting some of the top female talent in
the industry, we wanted to make our readers aware of what
the channel is actively doing to not only encourage more
women to get into the industry, but to make sure those
that are working in tech understand the various initiatives
out there to help them achieve their goals.
We spoke to some of the leading voices in tech
distribution, manufacturing and PR to find out what they
are doing to support women in the channel and why we
must continue to shed light on the subject.
Why is this important?
Speaking to the likes of distributor Westcoast, PR agency
Zaboura, and vendors Intel, Symantec and TP-Link, the
first thing we asked was why it was still so important to
support women in the tech industry.
“When you’re selling a solution, you have to be an
excellent storyteller. You have to be unique and do things
differently. And for that you need diversity. Recognising
talent, of any gender, and finding opportunities for
individuals to thrive is key to success. For me, it’s
irrelevant of gender – it’s having diversity that really
matters,” says Georgie Ellis. head of cloud sales at
Westcoast Cloud.
“That said, there aren’t enough women in tech. We need
to engage earlier and make sure that a career in technology
is advertised as an opportunity at a school level. Women
have another outlook to bring to the table – and true
success is taking lead from a range of people and
leveraging talent. When you’re selling a solution, you need
to build excellent, on-going relationships with your
customers. Due to the natural emotive qualities of women,
we have advance skills in nurturing relationships and an
unequal passion for our customers.”

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PCR182.supporting.indd 2

On the security side of things, Symantec’s director of
security response Orla Cox, reveals that while women
represent half of our global population, studies show that
only 10% of the global cyber security workforce are female,
while projections estimate there will be an excess of 1.5
million cyber security jobs in 2020.
“A rich balance and inclusive culture which embraces
diverse points of view, backgrounds and perspectives allow
the industry to make decisions that serve the needs of a
broad spectrum of customers and tech users,” says Cox.
“By including a diverse range of perspectives, it allows
the industry to respond to new trends more rapidly,
stimulate innovation and perform better. At Symantec,
gender equality and the advancement of women in
technology is an issue we care deeply about. With the
current shortage of skilled professionals in cyber security
notably, there is a unique opportunity to attract more
women to STEM fields and bridge the diversity and gender
equality gap.”
TP-Link country manager Will Liu touches on the
benefits of a more diverse workforce. “A recent report
about the UK market by PwC shows that only 15% of
people working in STEM are female and only 5% of tech
leadership rolls are held by women. Yet, according to Tech
City UK and the innovation charity Nesta, this sector grew
32% faster than the rest of the UK economy and offers
higher than average salaries,” says Liu.

Women in Tech
“In terms of benefit to the business, a diverse
employment strategy has been shown to improve
decision making and problem solving as well as
providing valuable insights into your target
demographics.”
Maggie Zaboura, MD of PR agency Zaboura,
adds: “We’re seeing more female leaders in classic
boys clubs such as finance and politics, but we
still can’t say the same for tech.
“Women make up only 19% of the UK tech
workforce, and are still heavily underrepresented.
There are just 24 female CEOs of Fortune 500
companies now, down 25% from last year. I’m
seeing more women in their 50s being asked onto
boards but it’s not just about the board – it’s
about fair representation and diversity
throughout an organisation. And it’s not just
about improving opportunities for women, but
for business, too. Gender equality in any
environment broadens ideas and problemsolving, better reflects the consumer market and
deepens the well of resources.”
According to Intel’s UK sales director Jennifer
Shileika, having a team that reflects the world
around you is important.
“Our commitment to diversity comes from our
conviction that reaching a critical mass of women
and underrepresented minorities in our industry
brings significant benefits. Research shows that
people in diverse, inclusive teams are more open
to new ideas, more creative in their problem
solving, more engaged and higher performing.
You can’t innovate and have an impact on the
world’s population if your organisation isn’t
reflective of the world’s population,” she states.
What initiatives are out there?
While it seems the industry is in agreement that
companies should be as diverse as possible, we’re
not going to see real change unless tech firms are
actively working towards this goal. So, we asked
the contributors to this piece what their company
is doing to actively support women and what
projects they’re personally involved in.
“Symantec is highly involved in wide variety of
groups and partnerships to attract young women
to STEM fields like technology and cyber security,
including the Symantec Women’s Action
Network (SWAN), in which I participate
actively,” says Symantec’s Cox.
“SWAN is a global group for women in
Symantec; we play an integral role by building
cultural awareness and providing opportunities to
serve as cultural community ambassadors, mentor
women in cyber security, volunteer and advocate
on issues, including advocacy for female
employees to help them grow in their careers.

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PCR182.supporting.indd 3

L-R: Symantec’s Orla Cox and TP-Link’s Will Liu

“You can’t

have an
impact on the
world if your
organisation
isn’t reflective
of the world’s
population”
Jennifer Shileika,
Intel

“Symantec also partners with the Anita Borg
Institute for “Women in Technology” to advance
women in computing. Through the TechWomen
program, Symantec mentors are paired with
emerging leaders to expose them to female role
models. We also work in partnership with
PowerToFly and recently hosted a “Meet Women
Leaders of Symantec” event aimed at engaging
and recruiting women in technology.”
Intel’s Shileika says the global company takes a
holistic approach to this challenge, targeting
efforts across hiring, retaining and progression
which have been successful in the UK. “In the last
three years we have achieved a 40% female hiring
rate and women in middle or senior grades now
account for more than 50% of our UK workforce.
“We also know that it’s not enough to focus
solely on driving diversity. Ensuring we have an
inclusive workforce is the key to lasting impact.
Every day we continue to create an Intel where all
of our employees are able to bring their full
experiences to work.”
TP-Link’s Liu comments: “TP-Link is an equal
opportunities employer that takes diversity
seriously, from the recruitment process through
to employee retention, the business has developed
a robust series of policies and procedures that
encourages the best quality candidates to apply
for jobs and then ensure they grow and remain
within the business.”
Westcoast Cloud’s Ellis reveals the company’s
plans for a new programme: “The Westcoast
Cloud team is really diverse and we’re lucky to
have a lot of talented women. As we move
forward, we’re committed to support diversity
and are looking to start a ‘Women in Business’
apprenticeship programme to encourage young
women to join our industry.”
Meanwhile, Zaboura outlines the work she has
been doing with organisations that help young
women get into STEM.

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26/10/2018 20:21

Women in Tech
“There are a lot of amazing things happening
right now that are encouraging more young
women into the IT sector. And it’s not just IT –
there are now all sorts of roles, in all sorts of
industries, that are related to technology, and it’s
easier than ever before to get a start,” she says.
“I’ve worked with some fantastic organisations
that encourage and teach young people – girls,
especially – of all nationalities and from all
different backgrounds how to code, such as Girls
Who Code, that are so accessible.
“There are so many meet ups and events that
cover myriad of topics for everyone to get
involved with. It’s about sparking interest and
lighting passions in younger generations, showing
them how incredible and wide-ranging their
input can be, and giving them the confidence and
drive to get involved.”
Zaboura adds: “Everything is accessible if there
is the appetite and the will to do it.”
What more can the industry do?
It’s great to see that the focus on encouraging
young women to get into the industry is growing,
and clearly there are many companies in the
channel that are driving diversity within their
workforces. But as we move into 2019, what more
could the industry as a whole be doing to ensure
we continue on the right path?
“The industry needs to ensure diverse voices,
backgrounds and perspectives are included,” says
Cox. “We need to ensure young women can
recognise themselves and feel confident aspiring
to a career in technology by promoting role
models they can relate to. This is particularly the
case in technology, and notably in cyber security,
wherein often experts quoted in the media or
speaking at conferences are predominantly male.”
Cox also suggests that the industry should
partner with nonprofits to “channel the passion of
young women” and close the STEM gender gap
from a young age.
“We should look at how we can attract and
retain a diverse talent pool to create a culture
wherein females can thrive. The industry should
offer opportunities to develop and accelerate

female talent. At Symantec, we provide leading
female employees the opportunity to attend the
annual Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in
Computing, joining 18,000 primarily female
attendees for the largest gathering of women in
computing today.
“Collaborating with key research,
nongovernmental organisations, public policy
and education partners, we support conversations
and creating a voice internally and externally for
women in tech.”
While many commercial organisations and
charities are promoting STEM within schools and
giving children the opportunity to explore a
profitable future in tech, Liu says that to get the
most out of this ever expanding pool of talent,
employers need to take a step back and think
about their recruitment process, before they even
review the interview process.
“Are they attracting a representative sample of
applicants, and once recruited, do the company
policies and procedures support employee growth
and development to improve retention?” asks Liu.
“Like all industries, employers should be adopting
HR best practices.”
Zaboura agrees that employees need to think
outside of the box when it comes to hiring. “I
strongly believe that this doesn’t just apply to
women, but the industry still hires by templates
and quotas. They need to go beyond the CV and
biases and hire and develop from varying
backgrounds and education.”
Shileika offers up a recent quote from Intel’s
chief diversity and inclusion officer, Barbara
Whye: “Industry-wide problems require industrywide solutions. Encouraging more women and
particularly women of colour to pursue careers in
STEM fields requires coordinated collaboration
and a shared strategy with our peers.”
“There’s still a lot of work to do,” notes
Shileika. “It’s important that people, whether men
or women, recognise their own role and
contribution to the wider goal of achieving
representation in the sector and each do what
they can to improve our business practices and
culture in a way that drives overall progress.”

Laura Barnes speaks to those in the
know about the impact 5G could have
on retail, storage, smart cities and our
day-to-day livesâ&#x20AC;Ś

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26/10/2018 20:35

The power of 5G

A

t this point in time, most people will have heard
about 5G in some capacity. You’ll probably know
that it’s the fifth generation of mobile networks, and
will have no-doubt seen various comments thrown
around about how amazingly fast it will be. But, do you know
the ways in which 5G is set to impact various parts of our
working and personal lives?
PCR caught up with industry experts to uncover what 5G
means for communication and streaming, how it’s going to
affect the way we use storage, and how retailers can capitalise on
super-fast connectivity.
In the 1980s we saw the introduction of 1G, with the first
mobile phone call made by Vodafone. At the time, the analogue
network was voice only. In the ‘90s we saw 2G and the UK’s first
text message – again, sent by Vodafone. With 3G launching in
the early 2000s and 4G launching in 2013, the world started
regularly using mobile phones for much more than phone calls
and texting. These mobile networks enabled people to make
video calls, stream content and utilise cloud computing. And as
laptops became more portable and
tablets offered an in-between
option, it became imperative that
mobile device users stayed
constantly connected.
Now, in 2018, not only has EE set
up 5G trials in London, but
Vodafone has continued its run of
firsts by completing the UK’s first
holographic phone call using 5G.
In September, the company made
a call from its Manchester office
featuring England and Manchester
City Women’s Football captain,
Mark McCarter,
Steph Houghton MBE. Using 5G
technology, she appeared as a live
3D hologram on stage in front of an audience at Vodafone’s UK
headquarters in Newbury.
The call followed the announcement in June this year that
seven cities would become Vodafone 5G trial areas by the end of
the year. In Ofcom’s April 2018 auction, Vodafone secured the
largest slice of the 5G spectrum and has since announced that
Cornwall and the Lake District will receive 5G during 2019, and
has also promised 1,000 5G sites by 2020.
“5G will be the platform for big advances in technologies such
as artificial intelligence, IoT, robotics, connected cities and selfdriving cars. It will enable many applications that we cannot
imagine today,” Vodafone UK’s enterprise director Anne
Sheehan tells PCR.
“From paramedics who are in constant, real-time, video link
conference with the emergency room, to roads that don’t require
traffic lights because driverless cars are able to talk to one
another about upcoming obstacles – 5G has the potential to
make these seemingly far-fetched scenarios a reality.”
Sheehan explains that it is not just businesses that are set to
benefit from 5G, but consumers too. “Imagine a world where
billions of connected devices, underpinned by a 5G network, are
working quicker and for longer. Today’s digital innovation is

also enabling the smart home where everything is connected. It
won’t be long before a drone drops off the shopping that your
fridge and cupboards have ordered or a boiler has warned you
that it is about to fail and has searched the internet for ratings
and recommended you a plumber.”
Mark McCarter, product development manager at memory
solution provider Ortial Technologies, delves deeper into the
consumer benefits of the new mobile network.
“5G will have a massive impact on consumers with the faster
speeds, greater capacity and lower latency of this network being
its headline benefits. We can expect to see increased
performance from mobile services first – no buffering of video
services, fast download of movies to mobile devices, and
increased 4K HDR broadcasts.”
Another interesting use for 5G lies within the benefits it will
bring to those creating these movies, TV shows and broadcasts.
“5G would enable the broadcaster to only send the
cameraman and reporter instead of a whole production crew.
The footage can get back to the studio in a fraction of the time it
takes a physical transfer. With a
5G-enabled camera you are ready
to film as soon as you step out of
the car. 5G could be the difference
between an exclusive and a ‘me
too’,” BT Sport’s director of mobile
strategy Matt Stagg explained in a
recent article in TVBEurope.
“A live production needs
bandwidth and latency, and while
that can be enabled on 4G, it can’t
be guaranteed. Using network
slicing in a 5G core, we will be able
to provide a dedicated broadcastOrtial Technologies
grade network that will give that
guarantee of performance.”
As 5G helps people stream, download and connect to more
things, what does this mean for the world of storage?
Ortial’s McCarter believes that the services being created for
5G will only facilitate the necessity for increased storage and the
processing of big data.
“With the rise of AI and the drive towards an autonomous
future for the car industry, this gives Ortial a great opportunity
to be a key component supplier to any industry that needs large
capacity storage or fast processing network products,” he says.
“For example, autonomous vehicles will need the low latency/
high capacity data throughput to make decisions in real time,
but they can’t do this without huge computing power on board
to calculate hazards in the environment around it and as it
monitors the many sensors built into the vehicle it will need to
store this data before it’s processed.”

“5G will have a massive
impact on consumers,
with faster speeds,
greater capacity and
lower latency”

www.pcr-online.biz

PCR182.5g.indd 2

Smart Cities
With 5G comes the ability to implement futurist-sounding
“smart cities”. In order for public amenities and infrastructure
in cities to become “smart”, there needs to be a fast, responsive
and stable network that can handle a vast amount of data.
“Fortunately, 5G networks will provide this enhanced

November 2018 | 29

26/10/2018 20:35

The power of 5G

England and
Manchester City
Women’s Football
captain Steph
Houghton MBE
appears as a live 3D
hologram on stage
thanks to 5G.

connectivity,” says Sheehan. “Whether it’s providing more
seamless communication between autonomous cars and traffic
lights or improving existing solutions for emergency service
communications deployment, 5G will enable the
communication between different amenities and infrastructure.
This will make our cities smarter, cleaner and safer.”
McCarter adds: “The 5G network will allow consumers and
businesses to have access to new services offered by the creation
of smart cities, enhanced capabilities of smart home products
and real time access to big data.”
Some of these businesses within smart cities will be retailers
looking to utilise the benefits that 5G brings. Sheehan believes
retailers will be able to see an increase in shopper engagement.
“With a rise in communications through chat apps, and
retailers investing in chatbots, shoppers will be able to interact at
faster speeds and have a better customer experience with the
introduction of 5G.
“The speed of 5G will also improve digital signage: high
resolution videos will be able to be streamed, allowing shoppers
to access a greater quantity and quality of information,” she says.
“Furthermore, 5G will see the growth of new services designed
to improve the customer experience based on virtual reality,
augmented reality or mixed reality. Shop assistants will be able
to browse large stock lists at speed and shoppers can place
themselves in environments where they would be able to use a
product and get a real feel for how it would work in their lives.”
Going Mainstream
The future certainly looks bright for super-fast connectivity, but
when can we expect to see 5G become mainstream?
“This is a tricky one, we all want these things right now and
you could argue that 4G has only just hit its stride and here we
are talking about its successor,” says McCarter. “However, the
benefits of 5G for consumers, coupled with the adoption by the
car manufacturers and the use cases for shaping society through
the creation of smart cities has got many governments looking
at investing in this technology.

30

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PCR182.5g.indd 3

November 2018

“Shoppers will have a
better customer
experience with the
introduction of 5G”
Anne Sheehan, Vodafone
“We will see the first uses for this technology within 12
months, but we believe in reality it will be many years until it
realises its potential. The important thing for Ortial is to stay
close to this and be the first to market and continually adapt our
product offering to reflect the changes and opportunities in this
exciting area.”
Vodafone is eager to bring customers 5G as soon as possible,
but Sheehan tells PCR that there are a number of factors that will
impact when it becomes mainstream.
“Existing masts need upgrading, as do handsets, and 5G also
needs fibre. Fibre connections are essential in providing the high
capacity links between 5G mobile sites so that information can
flow back and forth from connected devices, the internet, the
cloud and company servers in the blink of an eye,” she explains.
“Just as you need a 4G-capable device to connect to 4G
networks – users will need the right handsets or devices to
connect to 5G. Most 5G handsets won’t arrive on the market
until middle to late 2019.”
While it’s clear that tech companies are working hard to get
everything in place to fully and effectively roll out 5G to the
masses, it seems the industry as a whole is wisely making sure it
doesn’t get too far ahead of itself.
With the impressive advancements in so many areas of
technology dependant on 5G, the next couple of years are set to
be an interesting time for next-gen connectivity.

www.pcr-online.biz

26/10/2018 20:35

WI-FI SECURITY
MADE SMARTER
A Smart Camera for Every Need
• Minimise error with Swann’s True Detect™ Technology – Heatbased PIR motion detection reliably captures and records activity,
with fewer false triggers
• D-I-Y Installation – quick, easy and hassle-free installation
• Ease of use – The Swann range is easy to use and seamlessly
integrates with other devices such as Amazon Alexa
• Live viewing direct to your Smartphone – Control, view and listen
on your Smartphone with the free SAFE by Swann app
• Security in the cloud - All cameras auto save footage locally & to
the cloud with the SAFE by Swann app, to maximise peace of mind

APPOINTMENTS EVENTS
This month’s movers and
shakers in the tech industry...
Tech Data

Find out what tech and retail events you
should be attending in the coming months…

VMWORLD 2018 EUROPE
5th November 2018 – Fira Gran Via, Barcelona

Tech Data has appointed Kevin Wragg as its new
sales operation delivery director for retail and
consumer technology.
The appointment comes at a time when Tech
Data is getting ready to set out detailed plans for
retailers as they approach the peak period of the
year. Wragg is one of the most experienced senior
managers at Tech Data, having worked at the firm for almost 30 years.
“Retail is detail and all the focus is now on the peak. It’s all about executing
efficiently, having optimum product inventory and getting it right first time.
We have made significant investments and now have a bigger retail ops team
and more service delivery heads than ever,” said Wragg.

VMworld 2018 Europe offers up four days of innovation to
accelerate your journey to a software-defined business –
from mobile devices to the data center and the cloud.

Tech21

28th-29th November, Amsterdam

Protective case manufacturer Tech21 has appointed
Colin Woodward as its new CEO. Woodward has
been at the company for over three years, previously
holding the positions of marketing director, CMO
and most recently, global vice president of sales. He
will oversee operations globally, replacing John
Doughty who is departing the company. Woodward, who has 20 years of experience in the technology industry, has previously worked at HTC and Sony.

Maverick AV Solutions

Distribution specialist Maverick AV Solutions has
appointed Graham Breakenridge as its new Vision
product manager. He will focus on working with
education and corporate integrators to specify
accessories from its rapidly growing portfolio.
Having previously been part of the Maverick AV
Solutions family as a product manager, Breakenridge joins Vision at a crucial time, as it expands its product range in order
to support Maverick’s collaboration solutions.

NZXT

Adrian Liu has been named as NZXT’s new strategic manager for the UK. Having worked for
Cooler Master for nearly seven years, in June 2018,
Liu started his own company to provide services to
manufacturers, including channel management,
business development and marketing in UK.
In August he signed NZXT to his portfolio, and
since then has decided his time to helping NZXT to strengthen its business in
the UK, taking on the role of UK strategic manager for the company.

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PCR182.events.indd 1

BRIGANTIA ANNUAL PARTNERS DAY
22nd November 2018 – Twickenham Rugby Stadium, London
Brigantia’s one-day event will feature a series of talks from
industry experts, as well as networking areas with displays
from various partner vendors.

EUROPEAN WOMEN IN TECHNOLOGY
European Women in Technology returns to Amsterdam in
November with speakers from some of the biggest brands,
including Nokia, Google and ASOS. More than 3,000
industry leaders and experts are expected to attend the
two-day event.

CES 2019
8th-11th January 2019, Las Vegas Convention Center, Las Vegas
With more than 3,800 tech firms set to exhibit in Las Vegas,
CES 2019 will continue to offer up the latest consumer tech
and next-gen innovations.

BETT 2019
24th-27th January 2019, EXCEL, London
Education technology show Bett is back in London for
another round of inspiration and discussion surrounding the
future of education. 34,700 attendees are expected to visit
this year’s show.

PCR AWARDS 2019
6th March 2019 – The Brewery, London
The PCR Awards are back once again to celebrate the very
best in the tech channel. Returning to The Brewery on 6th
March, the awards will boast a mix of networking, partying
and recognition of achievements in the UK tech industry.
Distributors, vendors, retailers, resellers and service providers will all be recognised through a variety of categories.
Guests will also have the chance to network with 500+
members of the industry.

www.pcr-online.biz

26/10/2018 16:31

IN MY TEAM

Westcoast
Cloud

Georgie Ellis, Head of Cloud Sales at Westcoast Cloud, reveals what it’s like working
in such a fast-paced industry and how the company takes a personal approach to
helping its customers...
What is the best part about working in the tech industry?
Tell us about the Westcoast Cloud team.
It’s such a fast-paced industry and things change all the time, so
We have a team here that has a phenomenal understanding of
as a business, you have no choice but to be at the forefront of
technology, and what really makes us different is that our sales
what’s going on.
team is also our pre-sales team. That means there’s no handover
That’s what the team here are great at doing. We understand
period, so our sales team are completely aligned to what
the market and the changes taking place, and we’re
our partners need.
innovative and ready to adapt. That’s what’s exciting
Our other departments – including support,
for Westcoast Cloud working in this industry.
provisioning and operations – are also seen as
“We understand
an extension to our partners’ companies, and
the changes taking
What is your team working on at the moment?
provide key value-added services on all levels.
place in the
We’ve just completed an office move and it’s an
exciting time as we celebrate our success to
How do you help partners maximise their
market and we’re
date. It’s a great opportunity for us all to get
cloud businesses?
ready to adapt”
involved with building our team culture, and
The main reason we’re successful in helping our
we’re looking forward to what the future holds for
partners succeed is our personal touch – we do
Westcoast Cloud.
end-user meetings and calls, support pitches and offer
training. As a result, we’re not only their technical advisors but
Who makes the best cuppa?
really become an extension of their team. We take a personal
It has to be Starbucks. We’re all about delivering a Michelin
approach to helping our partners. We think about what they
service and wanting things instantly!
need, and adapt our business in an agile way to provide support.
Contact: Web: www.westcoastcloud.co.uk Tel: 0333 003 1701

Sector Guide
Blink XT Outdoor Security Camera
Specs: 1280x720 resolution, infrared night vision,
110-degree field of view, motion detection up to 20 feet,
wireless, weatherproof.
“With the Blink XT, you can now protect your entire home,
inside and out, with the same video-first security that you
have come to love. Blink is easy to set up, just a fraction
of the cost of other home monitoring systems and has no
subscription fees or data storage charges.”
Contact: Blink

“The Brainwavz S0 earphones have been designed to provide a
balanced sound signature with each part of the sound spectrum
represented accurate and clear. The all-metal housing and flat,
tangle-free cabling provide a sleek look and feel, coupled with
long lasting durability. These in-ear earphones are designed to
sound good with any genre of music.”
Contact: Brainwavz Audio

Konix World of Tanks M-45 Gaming Mouse
Specs: DPI switch up to 4000, 10 action shortcut, weight calibration,
recording macros on 7 buttons.
“Konix’s World of Tanks M-45 gaming mouse is specially designed
for the MOBA and adapted to different types of game thanks to five
customisable profiles. It comes with a braided cord with gold plated
connector and Teflon glides for better movement.”
Contact: Centresoft

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PCR182.guide1.indd 3

“The HomeGuard
GuardianEye is a
smart wireless doorbell
with snap photo that
delivers a new level of
security with an instant
photo push notification
sent to a smartphone
when the doorbell is
pressed. Featuring a 2MP camera with 80-degree
wide angle lens, the GuardianEye doorbell is wire free
and easy to install with an attractive slim design.”
Contact: VIP Computers

NZXT HUE 2 RGB Lighting Kit
Specs: Synchronised across all HUE 2 accessories, use CAM
interface to choose from a wide variety of preset and custom
modes to create the perfect look for your PC.

“Moshi’s IonSlim 10K is an ultra-thin portable battery
designed to charge any phone or USB device so you stay
powered up all day long. Thanks to USB-C PD technology
(up to 30 watts), the battery can also provide emergency
power to a USB-C laptop like a MacBook or MacBook Pro.
With both a USB-C and USB-A port, charge two devices
simultaneously with Dynamic Power Sharing, which prioritises
the charging current to each connected device. Constructed
using premium anodised aluminium in an extremely slim
form factor, IonSlim 10K’s stylish design and advanced
functionality make it ideal for power users on the go.”
Contact: Moshi

Samsung Fl!p
Specs: 55” panel display, 3840 x 2160 (Landscape)
2160 x 3840 (Portrait), 4700:1 contrast ratio, 178-degree
viewing angle, HDMI and USB connectivity.
“The Samsung Fl!p is an enabler, a means to do
something we’ve done for decades – create, collaborate
and innovate – but better. That’s the reason to buy, not
for all the things the Fl!p can do, but for all the things the
Fl!p will enable you to do better.”

Sector Guide
Foobot Air Quality Monitor
Specs: Air quality score, app monitoring, pollution charts, notifications,
controls other home connected devices.
“Foobot is the first air quality monitor which gives you a clear and
visual understanding of how good the air quality is in your home and
the knowledge to take small steps to improve it; benefitting the whole
family’s long-term health. Foobot also works alongside other smart
home devices taking direct action if pollution levels exceed a set
amount. Perfect for allergy or asthma sufferers, the elderly, children or
those of you facing the daily smog-filled commute to work.”

D-Link Covr WiFi Solution
Specs: Seamless WiFi, no need to remember different network names
or passwords, parental control, high-speed AC1200 Dual-Band WiFi and
11ac Wave 2.
“Covr is the next generation of WiFi solutions for the home
from D-Link. Covr blankets every square inch of your home
with high-speed, seamless, reliable WiFi. With a pack
of three Covr Points, you can bring WiFi access to up to
a massive 5,000 square feet, no need for multiple range
extenders and/powerline devices. Covr’s Smart Roaming
technology enables your devices to stay automatically
connected to the nearest Covr Point in your home while all the
Covr Points work together as one network. That means you
can move from room to room or change floors and you’ll stay
seamlessly connected to everything you love about the internet
without needing to lift a finger.” – Paul Routledge, Country Manager
UK&I at D-Link Europe.

“The new and improved version of the best selling
Razer keyboard is the BlackWidow Elite. Razer have
taken their green mechanical switch to the next level
with this keyboard. It’s fast, tactile and clicky with new
dual side walls to add greater stability and an increased
protection against dust and liquids to ensure it lasts
reliably longer with up to 80 million keystrokes.”
Contact: VIP Computers

Contact: Exertis, Ingram Micro, Tech Data
38

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November 2018

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www.pcr-online.biz

26/10/2018 22:24

Sector Guide
Blink Security Camera
Specs: 1280x720 resolution, white LED night vision,
110-degree field of view, motion detection up to 20
feet away, wireless, one-way audio access.
“Blink is the completely wireless home security
camera that instantly sends motion-activated alerts
and HD video to your smartphone. No contract, no
wires and batteries that last for two years.”
Contact: Blink

Konix World of Tanks GH-60 Pro Gaming Headset
Specs: 7.1 surround sound, 2 vibration levels, control unit, backlight, comfortable
fit, 50mm speaker size.
“The World of Tanks pro gaming headset offers 4D immersion and large
cushions for optimal comfort. It has a wide frequency response of 20 to 20,000
Hz for faithful reproduction of bass and treble, as well as an omni-directional
microphone. With plug and play, users can connect directly to their PC without
having to install any drivers.”
Contact: Centresoft

Brainwavz HM5 Headphones
Specs: Detachable 1.3 meter and 3 meter cables,
neutral sound signature, large over the ear cups,
accessory bundle.
“The Brainwavz HM5 studio monitor headphones
are designed to deliver precise and accurate sound
production, replicating audio as it was intended to
be heard in a neutral sound signature. Featuring an
over-the-ear design, the HM5 sit comfortably on ones’
ears whilst sealing in the sound. The closed dynamic
monitors are adaptable and customisable, as well as
being a perfect pair of headphones for daily use.”
Contact: Brainwavz Audio

www.pcr-online.biz

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26/10/2018 22:24

Crowdfunding

ATOM pocket-sized 3-axis
smartphone gimbal
The ATOM claims to be the smallest 3-axis smartphone gimbal.
With a foldable structure, it is extremely portable and offers lots of
functionality, which is further expanded with app extensions.
“Unlike all other existing 3-axis gimbals on the market which are
always huge and troublesome in mounting phones, with ATOM,
you can carry it anywhere with ease, even put it in your pocket,”
says ATOM makers Snoppa Technology.
“In addition, ATOM also provides a series of fantastic functions
which enable you to control your filming work with great flexibility.”
ATOM weighs only 440 grams (15.5 oz), and thanks to its
unique structure, it can reach a high payload of 310 grams. It can
also charge your phone for you while it’s filming.
For more information visit https://igg.me/at/gimbal/x

SoundFlow all-in-one earbuds,
battery and case
In a bid to make wireless music more convenient and affordable,
Ascape Audio has unveiled what it’s calling “superior-sounding
wireless earbuds”. What makes these earbuds different is that they
can be charge directly from SoundFlow phone cases.
The earbuds themselves feature high-fidelity graphene audio,
ambient noise cancellation, eight-hour battery life, hands-free calling
and are rain, sweat and dust proof.
SoundFlow’s phone cases claim to be a world first. They can
power your wireless earbuds, keeping them secure and charging on
the go. When you’re ready to listen to music, “just remove the
earbuds and let the SoundFlow”, as Ascape Audio puts it.
The SoundFlow case is available in a variety of colours and in
sizes for various Apple iPhone, Google Pixel and Samsung
Galaxy models.
For more information visit https://igg.me/at/soundflow/x

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26/10/2018 14:56

Crowdfunding

DUO turntable with detachable
bluetooth speaker
Wondering if there’s such thing as a small, all-in-one turntable?
Want to get into vinyl but not sure you want to invest in a whole
stereo system? What about a record player that can play more than
just records?
These are the questions Xin An Technology looked to answer with
its new DUO turntable. The DUO has a compact, hybrid design that
lets you play records as usual, but also comes with a detachable
Bluetooth speaker.
Promising a no-fuss stereo system, the DUO uses aptX Bluetooth
to boost audio quality so you can blast your favorite music in either
vinyl or digital format.
When playing records on DUO’s base unit, you can carry the
Bluetooth speaker with you to keep the music going, thanks to its
maximum range of 10 to 15 meters. The speaker works
independently of the turntable and weighs in at only 1.8 lbs (800
grams). With a full charge, DUO gives you 10 hours of playtime.
For more information visit http://kck.st/2IlGtWD

With so much talent in the
channel, it can be difficult to sift
out the freshest gear and potential
tech giants of tomorrow. Stay
ahead of the curve with PCR’s
Crowdfunding Corner…

70mai Dash Cam Pro
The 70mai Dash Cam Pro is an in-car DVR featuring multiple
functions to promote a safer driving experience.
Features include parking surveillance, an advanced driverassistance system, night vision, app enablement, a compact design,
3-minute installation, and voice control.
It comes with 1944P (2.7K) resolution, Wide Dynamic Range
(WDR), and Defog – all helping to lead a safer driving experience by
monitoring the vehicle, warning of potential danger, and recording
more details of events in bad weather.
If your car is hit, 70mai Dash Cam Pro automatically starts
recording, and it can even remind you to check the video of the
whole event afterwards.
For more information visit https://igg.me/at/dashcampro/x

www.pcr-online.biz

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26/10/2018 14:56

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Every industry
needs a mixture of
different
personalities and
backgroundsâ&#x20AC;?

PCR182.channel.indd 1

26/10/2018 14:59

LIFE IN THE CHANNEL

Tell us a bit about what Evoko does and your role within
the company.
Evoko is a Swedish company driven by innovation, design
and a mission to ‘make every meeting magnificent’. We
develop products like room-booking devices, conference
speakers and with our latest product we have taken a new
approach to public space communication.
At Evoko our main focus is coming up with great ideas
and then teaming up with partners within the area to make
sure we always present the best products. As Evoko is
growing we are now developing more and more in-house.
My role within the company is divided between two
different departments. Half the time I’m a project leader in
the Evoko engineering team managing new development
projects. During the other half, I am a partner relations
manager where I work with overall strategy and processes.
What new projects have you been working on?
Throughout 2018 I’ve mainly worked with our newest
member in the Evoko family, Evoko Pusco. It’s a brand-new
product where we are taking a new direction within the
area of public space communication. We’ve tried to use
modern technology to make communication as easy as
possible. Pusco, just like the rest of the Evoko products is a
complete solution, meaning we have created both hardware
with a stunning design and software that is easy to use. It’s a
project that we’ve worked on for over a year and it has been
a really fun challenge.
When developing a complete solution, you are covering
many different areas, which I as a project manager need to
understand to be able to keep the whole project together.
I’ve learnt so much, everything from UX design to EMC
measurements!
What exciting advancements have you seen recently in
the smart meeting solution space?
I absolutely love how everything is becoming more digital
and wireless. I’ve always been opposed to writing notes on a
computer whilst having a meeting, which is very irritating
because I often want to draw and make sketches myself. I
think it feels impersonal having a computer between myself

PCR182.channel.indd 2

and the other people in the meeting. I used to always bring
a notebook and pencil, (how very modern of me), but this
summer I replaced my notebook with a tablet and stylus
which I think is a significant improvement. Now, I go to
meetings and I write and draw as if I had a notebook, but
the huge difference is that every note is now organised in a
library, synchronised with my computer/phone and I can
even translate my sloppy handwriting to a chosen font,
making it possible to search for different words and topics.
Another exciting development is that I recently had a
meeting with a robot. One of the meeting attendees couldn’t
be there in person so instead we had a robot replacing him.
The robot’s face was a tablet showing a video link with him,
so it actually felt like he was in the room.
If you could change/improve one thing about the tech
industry, what would it be?
What every woman in this industry wants – a more gender
equal work space. Every industry needs a mixture of
different personalities and different backgrounds and it
feels like the tech industry has a long way to go in this area.
It has absolutely improved but we need to speed it up as we
are still so far behind.
In terms of the tech itself, I would like to see a change in
attitude to quality instead of quantity. There are so many
products that are developed, but it seems like the questions
“Do we really need this?”, “Can we use something we
already have?” and “Can we reuse materials?” are rarely
asked. The environmental aspects are often forgotten in this
industry too and the awareness of this factor should be a
demand in every new development project.
What has Evoko got planned 2019?
We are very excited to hear the reaction of end-users to the
Evoko Pusco. The feedback we’ve received when presenting
Pusco at different events and trade shows has been
amazing, so it will be so interesting to hear what the actual
users will say.
As we are innovators at Evoko, we always have a lot of
new ongoing development projects. Right now they are top
secret, but keep an ear out in the coming months!

26/10/2018 14:59

S
ENTRIE
OPEN

AWARDS

FUTURE TRENDS ISSUE #000

2019

CELEBRATING THE PC
AND TECH INDUSTRY

www.pcr-awards.com
Wednesday 6th March
The Brewery, London
Xxxxxxxxx 2018

@PCRMag @PCROnline #PCRAwards
PCR House ad_V1.indd 1

20/09/2018 12:04

<Logging off>\\|
Out and about in the industry

<BT Shop helps Rivington gardens bloom again>
In September, the BT Shop team headed up
to Rivington Terraced Gardens near Horwich
for a day of volunteering.
Originally created for soap magnate Lord
Leverhulme in the early 1900s, the dramatic
hillside gardens featured a heavily-wooded
area, a network of footpaths, and formal
lawns and gardens which surrounded
Leverhulme’s residences.
Since his death, the gardens and area have
suffered from neglect. However, the
Groundwork trust has successfully secured
£3.4 million in funding from the Heritage
Lottery Fund as part of a £4 million restoration
package supported by United Utilities.
BT Shop joined the Groundwork team for
the day to understand the history of the
gardens. After a tour the team spent the
afternoon hard at work. Loppers, saws and
sweat were the order of the day and over a
three-hour period, a huge area was cleared.
Earlier in the year, the area was decimated
by fires, which at one point reached within
metres of destroying the restoration site.
“We applied to the trust earlier this year to
join them for the day, and were scheduled to
be there the week after the fires first started in
the summer. After we couldn’t attend we were
passionate about arranging another date and
helping with the damage caused as well as
the conservation of the gardens,” said Duncan
Rutherford, head of ecommerce for BT Shop.
“The team had an epic day, we cleared over
50m of dense gorse bushes that impacted

access, and by the end of it the results were
an amazing transformation.”
Briony Jolley, volunteer lead at Rivington
Terraced Gardens, said: “The BT Shop team
were a great bunch and we had a fantastic
day – they all worked hard to improve access
to the site across a huge area – thanks for all
your help!”
Some of the team are already going back in
their own time to support the project and the
wider team are planning to be back again in
the spring to continue the work and see the
changes that have taken place.

www.pcr-online.biz

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26/10/2018 20:49

<Logging off>\\

www.pcr-online.biz
@pcr_online

PCRmag

CONTENT

<Biggest tech news from… November 2011>
Now you’re up-to-date with the latest issues in tech retail, let’s
take a take a trip down memory lane to some interesting stories
from yesteryear...
Best Buy closes all UK stores
November 2011 marked the end of Best Buy in
the UK, with the retailer announcing the closure
of all eleven stores.
Best Buy Europe, the joint venture between
Carphone Warehouse and Best Buy, was the
launchpad for opening huge US-style outlets in
the UK and later Europe. However, the venture
was short-lived. “After conducting a thorough
strategic review of our operations, we believe that
our capital investment and ‘connectivity’ strategy
should be prioritised within our Carphone
Warehouse stores as they offer a higher and
proven rate of return,” said Andrew Harrison,
CEO of Best Buy Europe, at the time.

VIP acquires CMS Computers
VIP Computers bought Liverpool-based system
builder CMS Computers seven years ago.
The acquisition of CMS, which was best
known for producing the Zoostorm and Fizzbook
brands, brought another successful firm in to the
VIP group, which saw turnover in excess of £200
million in 2011.

Google+ Pages launches
Keen to keep up with the fast-paced growth
of other social media platforms, Google

launched business and brand-based Google+
Pages on its social networking service in
November 2011.
Up until that point, Google+ had been limited
to individuals, with many wishing to set up brand
or company-based profiles finding themselves
falling foul of Google’s real name policy.
At the time, PCR asked readers: “Will you be
setting up a Google+ Page for your business?”
While the social networking site is still chugging
along, we fear the answer to that questions today
is likely to be: “What’s Google+?”...

Entertainment industry urges
BT to block Pirate Bay
Remember the storm that Pirate Bay kicked up
when the illegal file sharing site seemed to be
threatening the creative industries?
Back in 2011, there was a particular amount of
concern coming from music and film companies,
with the likes of BPI and MPA calling on BT to
block access to the site.
BT acknowledged the receipt of the letter but
said that it would not voluntarily comply with
third–party requests to block access to web sites
and that a court order would be required.
In 2012 BT, along with Sky, EE, TalkTalk, O2
and Virgin agreed to a High Court order to block
access to the site.

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For the December issue of PCR, we’ll be looking at how
retailers can make the most of selling audio products and
our sector guide section will be packed full of the latest
headphones and smart speakers on the market.
As this will be the last PCR issue of 2018, we’ll also be
taking a look at some of the biggest stories in the IT and
tech channel from the past year, as well as highlighting
what emerging tech we can expect to see in 2019.

Recommend Brother Genuine Supplies
and know that your customers will
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The Destructor lives to cause
damage. Heâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll clumsily clunk
around printers, blocking
nozzles, frazzling fuser units
and jamming paper here,
there and everywhere.
He gobbles up warranties as
he goes, leaving nothing but
a big bill behind.